Page 1 of When We Dare

Chapter One

STELLA

Sometime in January

“Trashcan turkey,” I said.

Tish eyed me curiously, her brows hitching up. “Trashcan turkey?”

“It’s awesome. You put a trashcan on an old broom handle, or something like that, put the turkey on it, and smoke it over charcoal or wood.”

“Wow,” my friend said.

“You’ve never heard of it?”

“I can’t say that I have,” she said dryly.

“I promise it will be delicious,” I said.

Tish shrugged, her lips teasing with a smile. “I trust you. Go for it.”

Several days later, I walked into the yard at Tish and Griffin’s house. I tromped through the snow to where Griffin had told me there was a fire ring. I had an old broom handle I’d scrounged up. Once I tripped over the rocks for the fire ring, I kicked them loose to prop up the broom handle. Griffin had already placed a tidy stack of firewood out here and left a bag of charcoal for me.

In short order, I had a turkey smoking under the trashcan and felt pleased with myself for getting it all set up. My mom used to make turkey like this when I was little and I had fond memories of it.

Tish came out with our mutual friends, Madison and Maisie, to check on the status.

“Oh, wow, this looks like…” Maisie paused, her brown curls bouncing as she glanced my way.

“Trashcan turkey. It’s smoked turkey,” I explained.

She giggled as Madison eyed the project curiously.

“Look I grew up trashy and poor. I’m living up to my heritage,” I pointed out with a shrug.

“You’re a paralegal and you just finished law school,” Tish pointed out. “That’s not trashy.”

I snorted as I poked at the fire with a long tree limb I’d found in the snow. “My past is complicated.”

“Well, my dad was a card shark and got arrested for it a few times,” Maisie offered with a wry smile. “That’s why I usually win when we have card night.”

I’d heard bits and pieces of Maisie’s story, but this detail was news to me. “Seriously? That’s why you’re so good at cards.”

She nodded. “My dad is really good at cards. He still is. He’s still a scammer and still trashy.”

Since she was laughing about it, I let my own laugh sputter out. “Well, I learned how to make trashcan turkey from my mom who’s got a heart of gold, but she’s kind of trashy too. Not a card shark though. I wish she had been, maybe we’d have had more than two pennies to rub together.”

Madison was eyeing the situation skeptically with her hands on her hips. “My parents were rich criminals,” she offered.

“What?!”

“True story,” Madison said, her tone dry.

“Learn something new every day,” I said, completely unsure how else to respond to that.

Madison grinned. “My point being that money doesn’t tell you much about people.”

Maisie helped me add some more rocks to help stabilize the stake at the bottom, while Tish and Madison headed back inside.

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